Mr. Coldwell:

That is at a place called O'Leary Station in Prince Edward Island. He goes on to state that the floor price last year was 69 cents per bushel and $1.14 per 100 pound sack. The minister gave the price for a 75 pound bag, which would be at Montreal. That would mean that this young man would get 51 cents for a 75 pound sack. I agree with the minister that probably the solution is a commodity board, but these young fellows have invested their war savings in potato growing and they have their cellars full of potatoes and the prices are ruinous as far as they are concerned. I shall not go into the other .side of the matter but I do intend to raise something else when the proper item is before us.

Mr. Gardiner:

We have got away from

potatoes, but only to say that what can be done in the case of apples can be done in the case of potatoes. No one can say at this moment that the door is closed in connection with the handling of potatoes. We are going to deal with potatoes at the end of the picture when we know what the situation is and what has been done. The hon. .member has just raised the question of potatoes selling at a certain price. You have to consider the average price to the grower. You cannot talk about what happens at the end of the season when you . are always dumping some potatoes as though the price received represented the return.

Mr. Coldwell:

They were not able to sell them before.

Mr. Gardiner:

They say that, but people who have been talking to me say that there has been proper distribution. The records show that to the producers from August to January in 1948-49 the average price for potatoes was 99 cents per 100 pounds. In the same period in 1949-50 the average price was 98 cents per 100 pounds. In other words, there has been a difference of only one cent in the two seasons. We did give some support in the one season, while in the other season we have not given any support. The farmers were paid more money for their potatoes partly because they had more to sell.

Mr. Coldwell:

Not the small grower.

Mr. Gardiner:

We can discuss that at some other time.

Mr. Coldwell:

The large grower who is also a dealer can sell his potatoes first.

Mr. Gardiner:

That brings us back to what my hon. friend mentioned a moment ago. Every time these potato growers have come asking for assistance I have told them that it can best be done by means of an organization in their own area. After the point is reached where the producer does not get the average price, where he gets only the minimum price, it is not fair to say that is the price. We are absolutely opposed to that kind of policy being followed. The average price for the year has been 98 cents, and it was 99 cents last year.

Mr. Charlton:

Where is that?

Mr. Gardiner:

That is the price to the grower, as I said at the beginning of my remarks. If my hon. friend had been listening he would have known that. I am sorry if the hon. member in front of him was talking so much that I can understand my hon. friend not hearing me.

Mr. Charlton:

Would that be at the farm?

Mr. Gardiner:

To the grower at the farm. That is the price the grower got for his potatoes. I suppose he would deliver them at the village or in town or probably at the railroad station, but in any case that is his price.

Item stands.

Progress reported.

Mr. Gardiner:

Monday will be private members' day.